The Winnipeg Jets (28-29-12) and New York Rangers (28-33-8) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 12:00 p.m. EDT at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Rangers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6 (-119o / -100u). The Rangers are a -130 favorite to win outright, while the Jets are +106 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Jets vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks.
Jets vs. Rangers Odds, Pick
| Jets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -245 | 6 -119o / -100u | +106 |
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +199 | 6 -119o / -100u | -130 |
- Jets vs. Rangers Spread: Rangers -1.5 (+199 ), Jets +1.5 (-245)
- Jets vs. Rangers Over/Under: 6 (-119o / -100u)
- Jets vs. Rangers Moneyline: Jets +106, Rangers -130
Jets vs. Rangers Preview
Winnipeg Jets
Look out! Winnipeg is on playoff watch and it’s blown the public away.
It started as a season to forget for the Jets. They lost Nikolaj Ehlers in the offseason, and in an attempt to offset his loss, they unsuccessfully tried to build their depth up.
Granted, the Jets are making a run, and the top line of Gabe Vilardi, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor has unsurprisingly been a huge part of this success.
Both Connor and Scheifele each have 31 goals and are averaging over a point per game. But Winnipeg has fallen in three straight, even though it has grabbed a point in two of those matches, including a shootout loss to the Penguins yesterday.
At 5-on-5 offense, Winnipeg’s offense has lacked. Beyond its Big 3, the depth is solid, but doesn’t quite drive play like Connor, Scheifele and Vilardi do. However, the defense is where the Jets make their mark.
Aside from having the best goaltender in the world in Connor Hellebuyck, the defense thrives with a 2.62 xGA/60.
Hellebuyck played in Pittsburgh, so you should expect Eric Comrie to get the nod, and he hasn’t played a whole lot since returning from the Olympics. Though he’s been really solid in those two starts, stopping 50 out of 54 shots.
New York Rangers
It’s been a lost season for the Rangers, but on the bright side, the upcoming Draft is loaded with prospects.
So, while the players are taking it one game at a time, the franchise as a whole already has its eyes elsewhere.
New York has actually been really solid on the defensive end, which is the norm for a Mike Sullivan-coached team – and goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been as solid as ever.
In the month of March, the Rangers are playing to a 2.66 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 defense, and a below-average 48.5 xGF%.
Since New York traded Artemi Panarin, the Rangers are finally getting high-end production out of Alexis Lafreniere, who, in his last 10 games, has notched 14 points. The same goes for Mika Zibanejad, who also has 14 in his last 10.
Shesterkin was injured for most of the calendar year, until he returned after the Olympics, and he’s toed the line of solid and mediocre, playing to a .900 SV% and a 4.5 GSAx.
Jets vs. Rangers Prediction
As mentioned, this has been a season to forget for the Rangers, but it has been even worse in front of their home fans.
For the season, the Blue Shirts have gone 9-17-6 and while the Jets aren’t great on the road, they’ve been one of the best teams on the back end of a back-to-back.
Even though Winnipeg hasn’t played a ton of back-to-back games, it’s gone 5-1 in those games.
I may not be crazy about the roster generation, but the Jets are a sneaky team. Given that they’re priced at +110, it’s not crazy to suggest that they can pull out a win.
This game plays to their strengths, so I’ll take Winnipeg to win outright.
Pick: Jets ML (+110)
